1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting information of combined information which applies uniformly to all recipients, and more particularly, to a method of enabling a combined data rate control lock channel in a wireless communication system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a multiple access communication system, communications between users are conducted through one or more base stations, also referred to as an access network (AN). Here, multiple access refers to simultaneous transmission and/or reception. Several multiple access techniques are known in the art, such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), amplitude modulation multiple access and code division multiple access (CDMA).
In general, multiple access communication system can be wireless or wired and can carry voice and/or data. An example of a communication system carrying both voice and data is a system in accordance with the IS-95 standard and a system conforming to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2).
In the multiple access communication system, communication between users can be implemented through one or more base stations or ANs. A first user on one mobile station, which is also referred to as an access terminal (AT) or a subscriber station, communicates to a second user on a second mobile station or AT by transmitting data on reverse link (RL) to an AN. The AN (base station) can receives the data and can route the data to another AN. The data is then transmitted on a forward link (FL) of the same AN or different AN to the second AT (mobile station). Here, the FL refers to transmission from an AN to an AT, and the RL refers to transmission from an AT to an AN. As such, the communication can be conducted between a first user on one wireless or wired AT and a second user on a wireless or a wired AN.
As mentioned above, the multiple access communication system can communicate voice and/or data. With the wide popularity of data-based service (e.g., world wide web), interest in data-based communication is increasing. An example of a data only communication system is a high data rate (HDR) communication system (e.g., a CDMA system). The HDR communication system is a system dedicated to transmission of packet data. For efficient packet transmission on a FL and a RL in this system, scheduling has to be appropriately made. Scheduling is a procedure of the AN for determining and controlling data rates of the ATs. The AN conducts scheduling based on feedback information transmitted from the ATs on the basis of information related to power of the ATs and quantity of data to be transmitted from the ATs. That is, the AN controls data rates of various ATs.
In operation, on the FL, an AN transmits data to a particular AT having the best channel status so that the data transmission throughput of the AT can be maximized. On the RL, a plurality of ATs access the AN simultaneously. Therefore, the AN controls the data flow from the ATs in order to prevent traffic congestion and controls overhead within its capacity.
Data transmission on the RL is controlled by the use of a Reverse Activity Bit (RAB) and a Reverse Rate Limit (RRL) message transmitted from an AN in the existing HDR system. A forward Medium Access control (MAC) channel is transmitted to an AT in time division multiplexing (TDM) along with a pilot channel, a Forward Activity Bit (FAB), and an RAB. The RAB represents the congestion of the RL, and a data rate available to the AT varies with the RAB. That is, the AN increases or decreases the data rate of the AT by means of the RAB when controlling overhead and capacity on the RL.
Information related to data rate is usually communicated between the AT and the AN, and in so doing, overheads in form of signaling are increased. By reducing or simplifying overhead with respect to signaling, the system can operate more efficiently.